It is the responsibility and duty of each State to protect people, property and the environment within its territory from disasters or threats thereof, as well as to ensure the ability to take appropriate action in disasters of a scale that may or may be prepared in good time.
In cases where the consequences of disasters exceed the responsiveness capacity of the affected State, States shall have the possibility to use the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, which allows for the involvement of civil protection resources of other Member States of the European Union in disaster relief. Such a mechanism of assistance enables the response capacity of the affected country to be complemented.
The objective of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism is therefore to promote enhanced cooperation in the field of civil protection assistance in response to all types of major emergencies or disasters, such as natural and man-made disasters, terrorist acts, technological disasters, radiological or ecological accidents, accidental marine pollution, etc.
Decision 1313/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a new European Union Civil Protection Mechanism was adopted on 17 December 2013 in the light of experience from interventions and disasters, establishing a more effective mechanism to support and facilitate the mobilisation and coordination of civil protection assistance in the event of major emergencies or disasters occurring within or outside the European Union.
- Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council in Latvian
- Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council in English
More about the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism can be found on the website of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Humanitarian aid and Civil Protection.
At expert level, the SFRS represents national interests in working groups and committees
- In the Working Party on Civil Protection of the Council of Europe
- Early Warning systems Working Group
- Host State support Working Group
- Transport Working Group
- Module Working Group
- CECIS Working Group
- Disaster response planning Task force subgroups
- CBRN Action Plan implementation Task force subgroups
- National Working Group of training Coordinators
- In the Committee on Civil Protection
National Contact point
The State Fire and Rescue Service of Latvia operational Management Board for disaster Management and response is a national focal point, ensuring regular communication and exchange of information, where necessary, with the European Commission's Emergency response Coordination Centre (ERCC) and the NATO Euro-Atlantic disaster assistance Coordination Centre (EADRCC).